Cement basket



y 1952 w. s. ALTHOUSE, 'JR 2,602,514

CEMENT BASKET Filed April 23, 1949 1e, 1 4 11 2E o fie 0 4'? IN VEN TOR. Wu/AM ,5. Azruoussgle.

447'7'0RNEYS in a well bore;

Patented July 8, 1952 I -ICIE;

CEMENT BASKET William S. Althouse, J r., Arcadia, 'Calif., assignor to Baker Oil Tools, Inc., Vernon, Calif., a corporation of California Application April 23, 1949, Serial No. 89,330'

The present invention relates to subsurface well-tools, and more particularly to annular devices for forming a bridge between a casing, liner, or similar conduit string, and the wall of a surrounding enclosure, such as a bore-hole.

A device of the character indicated is disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,117,538. -As shown in that patent, a cementing basket includes a plurality of leaf springs whose ends are welded to a supporting member. Each weld is in the form of a bead running around the end of each spring, being provided through use of an electric arc. The heat generated is of such high order as to nullify the desired spring-like characteristics of each spring at its welded end, about which the spring must flex, and induces spring failure at such end. In addition to the foregoing disadvantage, the welding operation is relatively time consuming and costly.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a cementing basket which is not susceptible to spring'failure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cementing basket that can be produced in substantially lesser time and at substantially lesser cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved cementing basket capable of being slidably mounted on a casing, liner, or similar conduit string.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a cementing basket embodying welded-on leaf springs, in which the heat incident to the welding operation is not imparted to the bending areas of the springs, thereby enabling the springs to retain their spring-like characteristics in the regions where such characteristics are required.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of several forms in which it may be embodied. Such forms are shown inthe drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that such detailed de scription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cementing basket mounted on a string of casing disposed Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly sectional and partly elevational, of the lower portion of the device shown in Fig. 1; r

1 Claim. (Cl.166--13) As disclosed in the drawings, a basket A is mounted on a casing or liner section B forming part of a conduit string positioned in a well bore C. The basket is adapted to bridge the annular space D betweenthe casing B and the Wall of the well bore, and prevent cementitious and other materials E from moving through the annulus beyond the basket. The basket A is disclosed in the drawings as mounted on the casing B in an upright position. Accordingly, cementitious and other materials E will be prevented from moving downwardly. through the annulus D below the basket. v

The basket illustrated in Figs. '1 and 2 includes an inner ring or annular member In to which aplurality of circumferentially spaced leaf springs H are secured. These springs may be formed of flat flexible spring steel, or other suitable'material, with their lower portions I2 secured, as by welding, to the exterior of the inner annular member 10.

The lower portion'l'Z of each leaf spring lies flush against the exterior of the ring It. From this lower portion, the leaf spring tends to expand inherently outwardly, its intermediate portion l3 being inclined in a laterally outward and upward direction. The upper portion M of. the leaf spring is inclined laterally inwardly and upwardly toward the casing B.

Of course, it is to be understood that the basket A may, in some applications, be mounted on the casing B in a reverse direction to that illustrated, in which event the intermediate portions l3 of the springs will be inclined laterally in a downward direction, with the ends M of the springs disposedinwardly in a downward direction toward the casing. I i

A basket element l5 extends along substantially the entire length of the intermediate portion [3 of each leaf spring ll, having one of its longitudinal marginal portions I5 secured to the inner face of the leaf spring II, as by spot welding [1. This basket element l5 may be formed of relatively thin, flexible sheet brass, or other suitable -material, and extends from the leaf spring to which it is attached circumferentially' aroundthe basket in overlapping relation with the inner surface of an adjacent flexible element l5 spot welded toan adjacent leaf spring I I. The

the point of demarcation between its intermediate portion [3 and its upper portion 14. With this arrangement, the upper ends of the. elements 15 are closely adjacent the wall of the wellbore,

with their lower ends closely adjacent the exterior of the inner annular member ID.

The flexible basket elements l5 overlap one.

another in slidable relation, forming, collectively, an imperforate basket.

The lower portion ll of each spring H is secured to the inner ring In by spot welding. Such spot welding regions. are provided at a plurality of longitudinally spaced points 19, 20, with the uppermost point if] being disposed substantially below the terminus 2| of the intermediate portion [3 of. the leaf spring. After the springs are all spot welded to the inner ring, an outer annular member or sleeve 22 is disposed over the ring Hi and the lower portions E2 of the springs. This outer annular member has a lower inwardly directed flange portion 23 snugly engaging the lower portion of the ring l0, and having an upper portion 24 snugly engaging the outer surfaces of the, lower portions [2 of the springs. A shoulder 25 on the outer annular member 22 engages the lower terminals 26 of the springs, and thereby locates the upperend 21 of the outer sleeve at the lower end 2! of the intermediate spring portions I3, with the lower end 28 of the sleeve 22 preferably flush with, the lower end 29 of the inner ring [9.

When properly disposed over the inner ring it and the lower portions i2 of the springs H, the

sleeve 22 may be secured to the inner ring Ill,"

as by a plurality of circumferentially spaced spot welds 39, disposed below the spring members H. The assembled basket A may be placed over a casing section B, and may slide relatively thereupon by a limited longitudinal distance, determined by engagement of the inner ring Hlwith upper and lower stop rings 3!, 32 welded, or otherwise suitably secured, to the casing section B.

The casing section B, with the basket A mounted thereon, is lowered through the well bore C, which ordinarily has a lesser inside diameter than the maximum external diameter of the basket.

when unconfined. The spring elements ll tend to expand outwardly inherently to enlarge the frustc-conical basket, and such spring elements are bent or flexed inwardly by the confining enclosure or wellbore C when the basket is disposed within the latter. The springs bend around their portions 21 adjacent the upper end or the sleeve 24, moving laterally inwardly or outwardly. This lateral movement decreases or enlarges the effectiv -size of the basket, the flexible basket elements l5 merely sliding circumferentially along one another.

During lowering of the casing string 3 in the well bore, the upper stop ring 3| engages the upper end of the inner ring- I0, and pulls the basket A through the well bore C. In the event the casing string is elevated by a substantial amount, the lower ring 32 engages the lower end 29 of the inner annular member I0 and pushes the basket upwardly, the bent heel portion Id of each spring riding along the wall of the well bore without digging in.

If desired, the stop rings 31, 32 may be eliminated, and the basket A mounted on the casing section B by welding the inner ring H] directly thereto.

The lower leaf spring portions l2 are secured to the inner ring by a spot welding operation, which is a comparatively rapid operation. The time of application of welding heat to each spring isextremely short, allowing little and insufificient timegfor the conducting of heat along the spring, which would tend to remove the temper from the spring element l I. It is to be noted that the uppermost spot weld i9 is spacedbelow the point 2| at which each spring flexes about the upper end of the outer sleeve 22. As a consequence, the heat applied to, theupper spot welded region 19 during the relatively short welding period cannot pass to the flex point 2| of the leaf spring to the extent sufiicient to elevate the temperature of the flexing region sufficiently high to re move its spring temper. Accordingly, thespring characteristicsremain in each leaf spring l I, and it will not breakat such point 2| despite its being subjected to repeated and extreme flexing during movement of they casing. string and basket in the well bore.

Assurance is also had that the basket assembly will remain intact because of the support afforded by the outer sleeve 22, which embraces the lower portions 12 of the springs. As a matter of fact, theload on the springs H andtheir flexible elements l5, as due to the weight of cement E supported by the basket, is transmitted primarily to the outer sleeve 22, and from this sleeve'to the inner sleeve iii. Only asmall portion of the load is transmitted through the spot Weld I9, 29, which, therefore, need not. bevery extensive and strong. Primarily, the spot welds l9, 2!] serve to assemble the springs I I around the sleeve ill, but the major portion of the load is transmitted from the springs l I to the upper end of the outer sleeve 22 through the flex points 2| and from the lower ends 26 0f thesprings to the sleeve shoulder 25. The sleeve 22, is secured strongly to the inner ring ill by spot welding 39 at points removed from the springs l I themselves, thereby preventing this welding heat from adversely affecting the leaf springs.

In the form of invention disclosed in Fig. 4 the inner ring it is eliminated. The lower terminals 2% of the leaf springs llrest upon the sleeve shoulder 25, and the lower portions 12 of the springs are secured to the sleeve 22 by a plurality of spot welds 59a, 20a. As in the other form of the invention, the uppermost weld 9a. is

removed from the flexing point 2! of the leaf spring about the upper end of the sleeve 22, to prevent-removal, or minimizing, of the springlike. characteristics from this member at this region. The basket devicedisclosed in Fig. may be placed over .a'casing section B, with the lower portions !2 of the springs and the lower flange portion 23 of the sleeve engaging the exterior of the casing. The sleeve may then be suitably secured to the casing, as by the use of welding material 3554.

As in the other form of the invention, the major portion of the spring load is transmitted from the springs ll directly to the sleeve 22, and from the sleeve to the casing through the weld 35. The spot welds Ida, 28a need not be made. strong enough to carry the full load, which allows lighter welds to be employed, such as spot welds.

In the form of invention disclosed in Fig. 5, the lower ends of the springs [2 are secured directly to a casing section or casing nipple F. Such mode of attachment is obtained by attaching the lower ends 40 of the springs directly to the nipple, by use of welding material ll. Such ends are comparatively remote from the point 2| about which the springs will flex. After the springs are welded to the nipple, a sleeve 22a, is positioned over them in snug engagement with their lower portions l2 and with the sleeve shoulder 25a engaging the welds 4|. This sleeve is then attached to the nipple F, as by use of welding material 42.

The major load on the springs [2 is transmitted directly from them to the encompassing sleeve 22 a, and from the latter through the weld 42 to the casing nipple F. The springs will flex around the area of the upper end of the sleeve, which is remote from the lower ends 49 of the springs, where they are Welded to the casing nipple. Heat is not conducted in sufficient quantity along the springs from the welding regions 40 to disturb the spring temper at the flex points 21.

The inventor claims:

In a cementing basket adapted to be mounted on a well conduit: an inner annular member to be placed on the well conduit; a plurality of circumferentially spaced leaf springs having their end portions disposed around the exterior of said inner member, said end portions lying flush against said member and the portions of said springs adjacent said end portions extending longitudinally and laterally outwardly from said inner member, said end portions being spot welded to said inner member at points substan tially removed from the spring portions which are adjacent said end portions; an outer annular member disposed around the exterior of said end portions and secured to said inner member; said outer annular member having an inwardly directed shoulder abutting the termini of said end portions; the extreme outer end of said inwardly directed shoulder lying in the same transverse plane as the end of said inner member; and means secured to said leaf springs and extending circumferentially around said springs to form a circumferentially continuous frusto-conical basket.

WILLIAM S. ALTHOUSE, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

